NOTE TAKING 

s'6- n 



^ 



BY 



A. T. ROBINSON, A.B. 

INSTRUCTOR IN ENGLISH IN THE MASSACHUSETTS 
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 



BOSTON, U.S.A. 

D, C. HEATH & CO., PUBLISHERS 

1905 



ii» 



NOTE TAKING 






BY 



T/i^ROBINSON, A.B. 

INSTRUCTOR IN ENGLISH IN THE MASSACHUSETTS 
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 



BOSTON, U.S.A. 

D. C. HEATH & CO., PUBLISHERS 

1905 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 

DEC 2 1905 

/| Copyright Entry 
CLASS a. XXc, No. 
COPY 8/ 



Copyright, 1905, 
By "D. C. Heath & Co. 



•v^lS 



l^ -^ 



PREFATORY NOTE 

The primary purpose of this pamphlet is to afford 
first-year students in college a few practical hints 
about the taking of notes, and to give some guidance 
toward the practice of a theoretically good system. 
The views expressed in it are based on the replies to 
a set of questions sent out some years ago at the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology to all third- 
year and fourth-year students. These replies gave 
information as to individual methods and as to the 
extent to which note taking had proved possible and 
profitable in various advanced courses. 



NOTE TAKING 



In note taking, as in every other art, each man must 
finally invent his own system and find his own way. 
Even if left to himself, he will, in the long run, unless 
discouraged, contrive to get the work done ; but mean- 
while he is likely to waste time in experiments and to 
miss the sense of lectures while he is writing notes that 
are useless. Some men solve the problem by giving it 
up, and in individual cases they may do well. It is too 
much to say that every man ought to take notes, but 
Why take ^^^ too much to Say that he should be able 
Notes? to do so. Note taking guarantees attention 

to the lecture. While not in itself hard work, it greatly 
diminishes the amount of study necessary outside the 
class. Notes well taken are in many subjects highly 
useful in after years. Above all, they give practice in 
the invaluable acquirement of seeing the point, of select- 
ing from a mass of words the idea which is really impor- 
tant. In view of these facts there have been collected 
in this pamphlet certain rules for general practice. In 
taking notes, as in learning to drive a golf ball or to play 
the piano, the preliminary steps may well be taken under 
guidance ; the beginner first practices an accepted sys- 
tem, and then, as he develops judgment, modifies it to 
suit his individual needs. 

5 



6 NOTE TAKING 

The pen is, of course, preferable for all note taking, 
though notes taken for immediate use or to be copied 
Pgj^ oj. may, if necessary, be written in pencil. The 

Pencil? pencil should be soft or medium. A hard 

pencil gives traces which, though relatively permanent, 
are difficult to read, and requires a pressure that tires 
the hand and often breaks the pencil point. The paper 
should be soft finished, so as not to reflect the light. 
Pencil notes, however, are untidy and short-lived ; for 
permanent material it is well to use one of the better 
varieties of fountain pen, so adjusted as not to require 
the use of a blotter. Green ink, or the best varieties of 
jet black, will be found least trying to the eyes. 

For many purposes the most convenient form of note- 
book is the college cover, with ring binders, and separate 
The sheets, S^' X 12'', or with sheets 5" x 8" 

Notebook. bound at the end. This form makes it possi- 
ble to take all subjects in one book, — a method which 
is convenient when notes are used only for purposes of 
review. The sheets can then be taken out at inter- 
vals and bound again in their respective sets. In rooms, 
however, where desks are not provided, these books are 
troublesome on account of their having broken backs 
and offering obstructions to the hand when writing 
toward the inner margin. The pages tend to break 
away at the perforations, and, if it is necessary to sort 
the notes oftener than once a week, the mechanical 
labor is considerable. Again, for notes which are in 
use constantly as a series, say in connection with labora- 
tory work or drawing, the college cover is impracticable. 
For such purposes a more convenient form is the 
ordinary problem book, 5'' x S", bound at the end. 



MATHEMATICS AND CHEMISTRY 7 

When many free-hand sketches are required, and gener- 
ally for tabulation and the plotting of curves, it is desira- 
ble that the page, at least on one side, be ruled in both 
directions. In almost all cases it is better to use only 
one side of the paper, and to leave the left-hand or 
under side of the page blank, both for convenience and 
to afford space for the addition of remarks, references 
to reading, drawings, and the like. 

In mathematical courses, and in a few other cases, it 
is sometimes advisable to take notes in the text-book, 
itself, and this should usually be done on inserted leaves 
rather than on the printed page. For this purpose 
dealers furnish loose sheets of thin paper in various 
sizes, gummed on one edge. The insertion of any 
considerable number of these, however, crowds the 
binding; and in that case it is better, if convenient, to 
have the book rebound, with blank leaves inserted as 
desired. Notes put in thus should be written in a small, 
neat hand, in ink, and require unusual skill in the 
taking. 

Various cases of note taking, distinguished by the 
nature of the material or the form in which it is pre- 
Mathematics sented, may well be mentioned separately, 
and Mathematical subjects and chemistry present 

emis ry. ^ somewhat special case. In these subjects it 
is likely to be necessary to copy a considerable amount 
of material from the board, and at the same time to give 
close attention to the accompanying explanations. In 
such a case some degree of revision of the notes, as soon 
as possible after the lecture, is highly desirable. Dem- 
onstrations, reactions, diagrams, and the like may then 
be carefully copied during the lecture period on the 



8 NOTE TAKING 

right-hand pages, forming the body of the notes. Brief 
notes covering explanations and remarks may at the 
same time be added on the left-hand page, and developed 
later, with the addition of such material as may be sug- 
gested by review of the lectures, and by reading, labora- 
tory work, or recitations. This method requires time in 
thinking out the connections, and sometimes, in difficult 
cases, involves consultation with the lecturer; but it 
fixes proof, the subject-matter, and processes in the 
memory, and, when the amount of copying from the 
board is considerable, seems the best way of taking 
notes. • Particularly in a chemistry course, a complete 
set of note-books kept in this way would later prove an 
invaluable addition to one's professional library. 

If one can be certain that the text-book covers all 
essential points, the fewer notes the better. The stu- 
Useofthe dent is then in a position to give his whole 
Text-book, attention to the lecture, and to derive most 
benefit from it. He then looks to his text-book for sys- 
tematic reasoning and to the lecturer for a broad and 
original treatment of the subject, with whatever inspira- 
tion his personality may afford. For the best success 
with this method, however, it is necessar}^ to read the 
book in advance of the lectures. " Unto every one 
that hath shall be given." A man's understanding of 
what he reads or hears, and his ability to judge of 
relative values, are largely the products of his previous 
knowledge. Even where the precise subject of the next 
lecture is not known beforehand, the effort should be 
made, if time permits, to read far enough in advance 
to insure some previous acquaintance with the points 
under discussion. 



STATEMENTS, NOT HEADINGS 9 

A syllabus, or set of neostyle notes prepared in 
advance by the lecturer, seldom does away entirely 
Neostyle with the necessity of note taking. Such 
Notes. outlines usually enumerate the points to be 

talked about, but do not embody the statements made. 
Notes taken by other students are obviously untrust- 
worthy, unless reviewed by the lecturer, and thus guar- 
anteed as an official outline. In that case they may be 
of the greatest possible value, if issued in advance, so 
as to be in hand during the lecture period. The use- 
fulness, obviously, of any notes depends upon their 
power to suggest and to recall. This suggestive quality 
in words depends, not wholly upon their defined mean- 
ing, but also upon their accustomed sense and associa- 
tions, so that a set of notes which would fully recall a lec- 
ture to the person who took them might prove valueless 
for another. If, however, the other has held them in 
his hand during the lecture and has definitely compared 
their phrases with the lecturer's, the two sets of ideas 
will thenceforth have some degree of association in his 
mind. 

When notes are taken only for immediate use, and 
are not to be revised or rewritten within a short time 
following the lecture, care must be taken that in general 
they consist of stateme?its and not mere headings, of 
statements, what grammatically are called pi^edicates 
not Head- rather than subjects. If, for instance, it were 
desired to get the briefest sort of abstract of 
the opening paragraphs of this pamphlet, the attempt 
to summarize might result in one or other of the two 
outlines suggested below. 



lO 



NOTE TAKING 



A 


B 


Introduction : purpose and 


I. Pamphlet designed for first- 


basis of pamphlet. 


year students. 




Based on experience and 




questions. 


Best system of note taking. 


2. Best system depends on in- 




dividual case. 




(Advice of lecturer.) 


Purpose of latter half pam- 


3. System here explained is 


phlet. 


offered as preliminary 




training merely. 



It is unnecessary to continue. The first set of notes 
(A), which is a fair illustration of the method employed 
by fifty per cent of beginners, has no meaning in itself 
and will prove suggestive only while the ideas are fresh 
in mind. It represents merely the subjects talked about. 
The second set (B) attempts to reproduce the statements 
themselves, and may be relied upon to bring back ideas 
which have slipped from the memory. 

Much depends also upon the appearance of notes. 
If they look uninviting, they may still be useful, but are 
not likely to be used. Handwriting here enters into 
the result to some extent, but besides this there is 
the question of arrangement — spacing and position. 
Tabulation, graphic methods, sufficient spacing and 
paragraph indentation, underscoring, — any method is 
valuable which helps the eye to find its way along the 
Appearance page and to separate ideas. There should 
of Notes. |-]^^g ^Q constant attention to what may be 
called the mechanical form of notes, but on the other 
hand no attempt to write grammatically complete sen- 
tences. Students who complain that they cannot keep 
up with the lecture, and are constantly losing ideas while 



CIVIL AND SANITARY ENGINEERING II 

writing, will usually be found attempting to take down 
complete sentences, either the lecturer's or their own. 
This method is inexpedient and produces a set of notes 
unevenly distributed over the substance of the lecture. 
The student begins bravely, takes full notes for ten or 
N t c m fifteen minutes, and then, finding the strain 
piete Sen- too much for him, gradually relaxes his atten- 
tences. ^^^^^ Thus his notes are entirely misleading 

as to the relative value of points. Moreover, if notes read 
too smoothly, they lose in suggestive power. In study 
the mind needs not to be carried fluently forward, but to 
be stopped at almost every phrase and led to supply the 
missing ideas ; for which purpose incomplete sentences 
are best adapted. The following sets of notes, read in 
order, may illustrate this point. The notes are repro- 
duced exactly as taken, and are preceded by an abstract 
of the address — a lecture on the work and opportunities 
of a civil or sanitary engineer. 



Civil and Sanitary Engineering 

(Abstract of the address as actually given) 

Civil engineering is the branch of science from which, historically, 
other engineering has been derived. Three half centuries ago all 
engineering was either "civil" or "military." With the growing 
complexity of our material civilization, various branches of the old 
civil engineering have assumed importance and been set off, for pur- 
poses of classification and instruction, each into a sphere of its own, 
with its own name and special problems ; but the domain of civil 
engineering is still large, and it is quite possible that in the near 
future there will be further division. 

At present civil engineering comprises the following sorts of en- 
gineering : first, surveying, with its dependent operations ; second. 



12 NOTE TAKING 

transportation ; third, structural engineering ; and fourth, hydraulic 
engineering. Each of these divisions may be variously subdivided 
within its own field. Thus surveying, when map construction in- 
volves the problem of the earth's curvature, gives rise to geodesy. 
All of these divisions are closely related with one another, and fre- 
quently come into touch with others of the general divisions of 
science. So structural engineering verges on architecture ; and hy- 
draulic engineering may find common ground, on the one hand, 
with transportation, as when harbors are to be improved, and, on 
the other, with mechanical engineering, as when water power is to 
be developed. These divisions should not be thought of as abso- 
lutely independent of other branches of science, either within or 
without the sphere of civil engineering. 

Sanitary engineering is that branch of civil engineering which has 
most recently been given an independent rating. It is an attempt 
to meet the problems presented by the remarkable increase in city 
life ; and has to deal with such considerations as water supply and 
sewage. Accordingly the sanitary engineer comes into close touch 
with the chemist and the biologist. 

It will be seen that both these fields, and particularly that of civil 
engineering, are very broad. ' Fortunately proficiency in them de- 
pends ultimately upon the application of a very few general prin- 
ciples ; but, in the application of these, success is bound to depend 
pretty largely upon the man himself. There is always room for good 
men ; always none for poor. The " poor man " is one that has not 
a taste for his work, or has not the character to pursue it faithfully. 
To be a " good man," it is not necessary that one be a genius ; the 
qualities principally required, aside from character, are known as 
"gumption "" and plain common sense. In addition, the man should 
be thoroughly interested in his subject and content with the con- 
ditions necessary to its pursuit. 

Notes taken by Students 

I 

The first set is entirely lacking in orderliness or regu- 
larity of method. It leaves no definite impression on 



NOTES TAKEN BY STUDENTS 13 

the reader, and to find any particular point in it one 
would need to read the whole. 



Civil & Sant. 

Civil is main branch from which other depts. have sprung. In 
begin. 2 kinds ; miht. & civil. Civil all that with civil life, & milt. 
. . . Gradually various branches shot off from parent stem. Field 
very broad still. Comprises Surveying & when it is carried to meas- 
urement & mapping of large figures it is called Geodesy. Next is 
field of transportation. Very broad domain this covers, building of 
railroads, harbors, docks, etc. In domain of civil buildings, Struc- 
tural Engineering, & in other branches of Civil, we constantly meet 
problems of Struct. Engin. Again, Hydraulic Engin. ; River Regu- 
lation ; development of water power. Again large group of subjects, 
increasing congreg. of people in cities, 100 yrs. ago 3% lived in cities, 
now 30%. This leads to many important engineer, problems. This 
involves Sanitary Engin. Sewage disposal. Construction of pave- 
ments, streets. Here Civil Eng. touches field of Biological Eng. In 
fact Civil comes in contact with engin. in other lines all the time. 
The professions thus interlock. 

Civil Eng. has to study many different subjects, but fortunately 
they depend on a small bunch of scientific principles. This is 
school of Applied Science; not merely studying of Scientific prin- 
ciples. Man who studies Math, for mental training soon forgets it. 
Opposite side. We thus should study with a view of applying our 
knowledge. 

A man who intends to be a Civil must hke building. He doesn't 
need to be a fine Math, but he must be a good one. Civil Eng. has 
more to do with out-of-door work. Principal requirement for the 
course is gumption & common sense, or ought to be called " uncom- 
mon " sense. 

Outlook : Every & no profess, is overcrowded. Always room for 
good men & nowhere room for poor man. A man who has not taste 
for conscientious work is a " poor" man. 



14 



NOTE TAKING 



II 



The second set shows some understanding of the 
value of spacing and arrangement, but appears some- 
what wordy, probably from the unnecessary pains which 
the writer has taken to make finished constructions of 
some of his sentences. 

Civil 

From this branch all others have sprung. 150 years ago only 
2 eng. courses Civil & Mil. As applied sciences came along other 
courses shot off & are to-day looked upon as distinct. It is still a 
broad field and chance for many more to branch off. 

Survey 

Measure & map of land surface touches Geod. 

requires Math. Phys. 

All branches need it more or less. 

Transportation 

railroads, roads, canals, rivers, lighthouses, docks, etc. 

Structural 

Bridges, Buildings especially high ones, railroads locks. 

Hydraulic 
river regula 
water power 
dams 

Turbine wheels 
The increasing of pop. tends to lead Civil Eng. to prob. city life. 

Sanitary 

water supply, structural, sewage disposal, construction of pave- 
ments & streets. This is where Civil touches Biology. Civil comes 
in contact with Mech. Elec. Archit. Chemist Biology. The field is 
very broad ; therefore have to study very many studies. It is based 
on small group of scientific principles which must all be mastered. 
You also learn how to study with object of use of what is learnt. 



NOTES TAKEN BY STUDENTS 



15 



Requirements 

aptitude for Building & constructing 

Good Math, like Science. More out-of-door work than any other 
profession. Hard work & painstaking. 

Outlook 

Every and no profession is crowded. 



Ill 

The third set is by no means logically perfect, but it 
shows in general the relative value of the ideas pre- 
sented. Moreover, it is so spaced as to be capable of 
expansion at any time. Some of the abbreviations are 
extremely ingenious, and give a personal tone to the 
whole. 

Civil and Sanit. 

[ Mil. 

f Surveying 
I. Comprises \ Mapping 

[ Measurement 



Building 



Transportation 



Structural 



Railroad 

Canals 

Road 

Harbors 

Dock 

L. H^s 

Bridges 
Buildings 



II. 



Hydraulic K Develop, of Power 

I Turbine. Dam. 

^ , . • ^ 100 yjfs- 3% 
People m city „, 

^ ^ \ now 30% 



1 6 NOTE TAKING 

r Water supply 
Sanitary Eng. \ Sewage 

[ Pavements, Streets 

Here C. touches Biolog. 
C with Mechanical 
Building conn, with Archit. 

Sanitary " " | Chem. & 
[ Biologist 

All branches depend on mastering a compact bunch of subjects. 

Doing something 
Applied Sci. 

Similar to others 
Instruct for Construction 

[fine ^ 
Requirements of Man — Need not be \ i\ math, abstract 



Apply math. 
Ought to be fond of Sci. 
Out-door work 

Principal I Gumption Uncommon Sense 
\ Careful 

Remedy defects 

f Every 
Overcrowded j ^^ , 

Room for good men 

A set of notes like the third lends itself easily to 
revision and expansion. There is no false economy of 
paper about it ; it has room to grow. It affords for 
literary material a plan of note taking similar to that 
proposed above for chemistry and mathematics, but the 
nature of the subject-matter treated in an elementary 
course in chemistry makes the application of the plan 
easier there than in a subject like the one illustrated 



NOTES TAKEN BY STUDENTS 



17 



above. The following extract from a student notebook 
in chemistry shows how the system may be used in 
descriptive scientific subjects : — 



Halogen Group 



Occur rejice : 



Iodine — Solid 



Never uncombined 



combined with 



Found in 



Properties : 



Physical 



Chemical 



potassium 
sodium 
magnesium 
calcium 

sea water 
marine plants 
• animals 
mineral waters 
. Chili saltpetre — sodium nitrate 

( bluish black 
irritating odor 
sHghtly soluble in HgO. 
heaviest of this group. 
Resembles CI & Br, but with less 

energy, 
combines with many elements, 

metals and non-metals. 

J Antimony powder in contact with 
I I. flame. 

From sodium iodide by action of Br. 
as Br, except KI substituted for KBr. 

Test : Turns starch solution blue. 

Outline notes of this sort, begun in the lecture room 
and ampHfied during the study hours preceding the 
next lecture, are in general preferable to a completely 



Preparation : 



l8>~ NOTE TAKING 

rewritten copy. To rewrite notes entirely involves 
great labor and also increases the chance of error. On 
Rewriting ^^^ Other hand, one ought to recognize that to 
Notes. derive full benefit from a lecture course con- 

siderable labor is necessary. The student who excuses 
himself from daily work because it is not required runs 
great risk of relaxing his self-control, weakening his 
power of application, and adding to his mental stores 
only vague and valueless impressions. Work of some 
sort should be done in reviewing almost every lecture ; 
and though the complete rewriting of notes seems hardly 
a profitable direction for such work, the time given to 
outside study could hardly be better spent than in the 
enlargement of a set of notes already logically and 
spaciously laid out in the lecture room. 

Rewritten notes, or abstracts of lectures, made out- 
side the class room, are for various reasons often required 
in lecture courses, and the ability to make a 
good abstract is a highly useful acquirement. 
Perhaps the best plan of all in following a lecture course 
would be to take as few notes as possible in the lecture 
hour, except such as relate to diagrams, demonstrations, 
reactions, and the Hke ; and then, relying on memory, 
to write out a synopsis at the earliest convenient study 
hour. Many students, while writing one statement, lose 
the thread of the discourse, so that their notes are of 
small value, and at the same time they have failed to 
understand the lecture. For them it would be better to 
concentrate attention upon the lecturer and endeavor 
to grasp his line of thought, jotting down only memo- 
randa enough to make it possible afterwards to amplify 
the notes into a complete synopsis. Even if the synopses 



ABSTRACTS 



19 



are never used again, the process of constructing them 
is the best possible way of fixing the lecture in mind. 
The synopsis, however, must be written, if at all, while 
the subject is fresh. Many students delay till they 
cannot understand their own abbreviations and have 
forgotten what the lecturer said. Such men — and we 
all at times belong to the class — will do better to train 
themselves in writing some sort of outline, however 
brief at first, in class. 

Two forms of abstract, illustrated in summaries of a 
lecture in EngHsh literature, are given below. They 
correspond generally to the two styles of note taking 
illustrated on an earlier page, and again the topical form 
seems more suggestive and easier to grasp than the con- 
tinuous prose. 

Both these abstracts were produced in the study hours 
following the lecture. It is unlikely that even a skillful 
note taker could produce unaided during the lecture hour 
a set of notes as good as the second (II), but with the 
assistance of a syllabus giving the main relations of 
ideas he should not fall far short of the specimen here 
shown. 

I 

Lecttire IV. Oct. 26, 19 — . 

Sir Philip Sidney 

The Elizabethan Age was the most brilliant period of English 
Literature. The versatile and chivalrous characteristics which 
marked the people as well as the literature of the period are well 
illustrated in the Hfe of Sir Philip Sidney. Sidney was the son of a 
court favorite and had all the advantages of the time in the way of 
education and society. He took his degree at Oxford and then 
spent three years on the continent. He was in Paris at the time of 



20 NOTE TAKING 

the Massacre on St. Bartholomew's Day, and saved his Hfe only by 
taking refuge in the British Embassy. On returning home, he be- 
came a favorite at court, and at the age of twenty-two was sent on a 
mission to the Emperor of Germany. Later he was made governor 
of Flushing, a town in Holland, a country which England was at that 
time helping in its struggle against Spain, Here he was engaged in 
constant fights with the Sj)anish ; and in one of these, under circum- 
stances which from one point of view seem foolish, but which, never- 
theless, reveal the generous character of the man, he received a wound 
which proved fatal. Sidney not only was a polished courtier who 
could shine in refined society, but he also could take part in the 
rougher things of life ; and his personal bravery gained for him the 
warm admiration of his soldiers. His chief claim to fame is not his 
writings, although these are by no means insignificant, but the con- 
ception of the ideal gentleman which his life exemplified ; and it is 
probable that no man has been more universally and sincerely 
mourned or regretted with more tender feelings by those who were 
acquainted with his character than Sidney. 

Sidney's first literary effort took the form of a mask written in 
honor of Queen Elizabeth. His chief works are "An Apology for 
Poetry," " Astrophel and Stella," and " Arcadia." His prose is char- 
acterized by the long, involved sentences found in all the prose of 
that time, while his poetry is highly imaginative, especially in its 
descriptions, and abounds in phrases expressing noble sentiments. 
" Arcadia " is one of the classics of the English language, and Sid- 
ney's modesty is well shown by the fact that on his death-bed he 
requested that the manuscript of this work, which had not yet been 
published, be destroyed. 

II 

Lecture, Oct. 26, 19 — . 

4. ELIZABETHAN SCHOOL OF LITERATURE 

Sir Philip Sidney 

Elizabethan School of Literature, 1600, most brilliant. 

I. Sir Philip Sidney, 1600. ... A typical Elizabethan man. 

A. Man of letters, ideal gentleman, polished courtier, brave 
knight, famous master of language, accomphshed in music 



ILLUSTRATIONS 21 

of the time. Although a man of Hterature and arts, he held 
greatest admiration of his soldiers. Was the flexible Eliza- 
bethan man. Such were the men who founded coast of 
America then. 

B. Born in family of good deal of note. 

1. Education. 

Had use of advantages in education and cultivation, — 

best school. 
Educated at Oxford; took his degree (1572-75). 

2. Sidney on the Continent. 

Massacre of Protestants in Paris. He took refuge in 
house of English Ambassador. 

3. Returned home and became court favorite. Sent on 

political embassies, as yoictig men were in those 
days. 

4. 1578 Wrote " Lady of May " for Elizabeth. 

5. Wrote Arcadia — not intended for pubHcation. At his 

death he directed it to be destroyed. The adjective — 
Arcadian. His poems passed about to be copied. 

6. Knighted, and married daughter of Sir Francis Walsing- 

ham. 

7. 1684. Sent to Prussia. 

Made governor by Elizabeth of town of Flushing, of which 
she had temporary possession as security for money she 
lent to Netherlands. Sidney very shrewd governor. 

8. 1686 — Two years later, he lost his life by an unselfish, 

chivalrous deed. Threw away his leg armor so as not 
to have any advantage over his unarmed brother-knight, 
with whom he was going out to a skirmish. Mortally 
wounded in the leg. 

9. Incident of his, gave his canteen of water to a thirsty 

soldier when he himself was about to drink. 
10. How great must have been his quahties to call forth the 
expression of grief from his soldiers when he died. 

C. Writings. 

1 . " Astrophel and Stella." 

Written about Sidney and his lady-love. 

2. "Arcadia." 



22 NOTE TAKING 

(a) Fantastic Romance. Chief characters were two ship- 
wrecked companions. Each thought other dead. 
Finally met, one a chief of brigands, other an am- 
bassador sent to treat with the chief. They dis- 
cover each other, and go off together to Arcadia, 
where the king had two daughters whom he re- 
solved should not be wooed. Complications, etc. 

{b) Elaborate, sugary. Full of quality of the imaginative. 
3. "Defense of Poesy." Is important. 

(a) Those nations that have impressed time are the 
poetry-reading and poetry-loving nations. From 
earliest times of literature we find all great times 
are times of poetry-loving and poetry-reading. 

(Ji) Value of poetry in human development. 

(/) His works are important as they show how men were 
trying to express their best thoughts in words. 

II. " Literature is a Criticism of Life." 

— Matthew Arnold. 

Literature is additions of man to the solution of life. 
Admiration for virtues is the everlasting thing that will stick by 
one, and this was the trend of Elizabethan literature. 

In all abstracts and notes it is important that nothing 

be set down unless the point of it is made evident, and, 

on the other hand, that the point be usually 

noted, rather than the illustrations or other 

secondary material. 

In the first three sets of notes given as examples, for 
instance, something has been written of the study of 
mathematics with a view to practical use. The first set 
of notes tends to make much of the idea itself, but fails 
to show its bearing on the profession of civil engineer- 
ing. The second makes this bearing evident in a word. 
Unless ideas can be sJiow7i in their 7'elation to the main 
logical oiLtline of the lectttre, they may with profit be 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



23 



omitted entirely. Again, illustrative material, if admitted 
at all, should be greatly condensed. The student should 
not be misled into noting points elaborately, merely be- 
cause they are interesting or easy to understand. The 
most striking parts of a discourse, like the most highly 
spiced dishes, are not necessarily the most nourishing. 

For instance, in the lecture summarized on 
Illustrations. 

pages 19-20, the lecturer could hardly refrain 

from referring to the tradition about Sidney's death. 

Nothing could be more charming or more characteristic 

of the man and his times. The story has a work of 

illustration to do ; but that work done, it should be 

allowed to rest. The sentence in the first set of notes 

treats it admirably and sufficiently by neglecting all of 

it except the point : — 

"Under circumstances which from one point of view seem foolish, 
but which, nevertheless, reveal the generous character of the man, 
he received a wound which proved fatal." 

In contrast may be taken the following extract from 
another abstract : — 

" Two years later he lost his life under somewhat tragic and very 
sad circumstances. 

" One morning, just as he was going into a battle, he noticed 
that he wore more armor than did his friend who accompanied him. 
In order that his chances might not exceed those of his friend, he 
threw away some of his armor. While fighting, he was wounded 
in a spot which previously had been protected by the armor which 
he threw away." 

This writer, like many inexperienced note takers, is 
zealous to preserve details, but at the same time almost 
wholly neglects to record the point, which alone gives 
the details any significance. 



24 NOTE TAKING 

Notes are well taken, then, when they show clearly 
the main ideas of the matter under discussion and the 
relation to these ideas of any tributary material that may 
have been noted. It is perhaps largely on this account 
that note taking is so valuable an exercise. No man 
can take notes intelligently who sits like an empty 
A Final bucket for the lecturer to pump full; he 
Word. must use his judgment in comparing, estimat- 

ing, and selecting ideas. In order to show the point of 
a lecture, notes must subordinate illustrative material, 
and, as to form, they may conveniently follow the brief 
or outHne. This skeleton should be easy to take in the 
lecture hour, and may be filled out later, as occasion or 
need arises. Of course, in adding to notes one is liable 
to error through forgetfulness ; but the chance is rela- 
tively small if the work be done, as it should be, at the 
earliest moment available after the lecture. Finally, to 
be intelligible even to himself at a later reading, the 
note taker must usually employ statements, not headings, 
though he need not trouble to write grammatically com- 
plete sentences ; and he should see to it that his notes, 
however brief, are evenly distributed, so as to represent 
completely his idea of the lecture. 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE 37 

Nineteenth Century Authors 

A Guide to their Study by the Laboratory Method. By LOUISE MANNING 
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Cloth. 157 pages. Introduction price, 60 cents. Separate leaflets, 5 cents 
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the two Brownings, Tennyson, Rossetti, George Eliot, Carlyle, Ruskin, 
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A Primer of English Literature 

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The book is suited for the use of lower high school classes, but is 
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Literary Studies 



An introduction to American and English masterpieces, containing selections 
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34 ARGUMENTATION AND ORATORY 

The Essentials of Argumentation 

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THIS book provides "practice in argumentative composition — in the 
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Reading and Speaking 

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PHILOLOGY 



35 



Eng-Iish Etymology 



A select glossary, serving as an introduction to the history of the English 
Language. By Friedrich Kluge, Professor at the University of Freiburg, 
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THE purpose of this work is to serve as an introduction to the study 
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A History of English Critical Terms 

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IN literary criticism, and in the discussion of art, there are more than 
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An Historical Study of the 0-Vo\vel in 

Accented Syllables in English. By EDWIN W. BOWEN, Professor of English 
in Randolph Macon College, Va. no pages. Cloth. Retail price, $1.25. 



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